Look before you leap into building on filled sites—or risk cracked foundations and lawsuits later on.

Clean Fill Wanted
Look before you leap into building on filled sites-
or risk cracked foundations and lawsuits later on.
by M. Daniel Gordon
Few foundation topics generate as
much confusion as does building on
filled sites. Many home owners and
contractors-and even some engineers
-assume that filled sites offer
good foundation support, particularly
for residential or light-commercial
structures. The assumption is that if
someone took the time to fill a site, it
must be better than it was before. This
contrasts sharply with my experience,
so my first reaction to a filled site is
generally, How bad is the problem?
When dealing with a filled site, a
prospective developer or contractor
should keep in mind the roadside signs
that